Travelling with kids

I've decided to turn our family fortnight in Spain into a social experiment. For the first week, I'll take my grey-haired, pension-pulling, 70-pushing mother. For the second, the 23-year-old nanny, complete with tattoos and tongue stud, is coming. It's going to be a compare-and-contrast exercise: is it best to take granny or nanny on a family holiday?

There are cost implications. In comparison, the Granny is cheaper. She will offer to pay her own way, whereas the Nanny, whatever her age, is a financial dependant. Not only do I get her air ticket, but she must be given as many treats as the children, whether a ride on the water slide or a choc-chip ice cream. In contrast, my mother will insist on buying treats for the kids herself, and eat less ice cream.

But because my nanny is being paid, I feel that I can demand more of her. If, just because I'm a few hundred miles away from home, I want to go out clubbing like the sad middle-aged mum I am, then I can straightforwardly ask the nanny to baby-sit. It's a commercial transaction. My mother must be bribed with free time. She's not just doing her job; she's having a holiday with her family, too. And while the nanny is still at an age when she can fall asleep anywhere, whatever the din, the granny will need a quiet room of her own.

There are other practical problems. A friend with a Czech au pair had trouble travelling outside the EU because the au pair required a visa although British passport holders didn't. It's best to get the visa in the passport before paying for the extra airfare, just in case.

Perhaps it's an indulgence to take anyone else; the cost of an additional airfare alone makes it impossible for many parents. But with four-month-old twins and an eight-year-old, a holiday really isn't a holiday without help.

I'll let you know which kind of help works out best.

 If you have any experiences of travelling with kids that you would like to share, e-mail: Deabirkett@cs.com.